The present invention relates to a box, a blank for a box and an article dispenser. Particularly the invention relates to a box, a blank for a box and an article dispenser wherein a box, a blank or an article dispenser includes dispensing openings provided in one of the panels forming a box or article dispenser. More particularly the invention relates to a box, a blank for a box and an article dispenser wherein a box, a blank or an article dispenser wherein the dispensing opening is used to give access to a handle. The invention also relates to a method of providing a reinforced handle on a box having perforations defining dispensing openings.
Dispensing systems or boxes for dispensing articles, and in particular sheet products such as cloth, paper, tissue or nonwoven wipes from a box are well known in the art.
Such dispensing systems or boxes are generally manufactured from a blank of stiff but foldable board material comprising a top panel, a bottom panel, side panels and a first and a second end panel connected together at fold lines to form an enclosure, wherein said top panel is formed by a first set of end panel flaps extending from the end panels and by a first set of side panel flaps extending from the side panels and said bottom panel is formed by a second set of end panels flaps extending from the end panels and by a second set of side panel flaps extending from the side panels.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,354 relates to a package for dispensing interfolded wipers through dispensing openings provided in a side panel of the package. The package is provided with two dispensing openings separated by a part of a panel functioning as a handle. Since the board material making up the box is not sufficiently rigid and resistant to tear, the handle can easily break.
EP 870 688 relates to a box, which is easily dismantled and packed flat after use to save space on disposal or recycling. The box is provided with a separate reinforced handle. The necessity to provide separate reinforcement adds to the complexity of the manufacturing process of the box and thus to the price of the box. This box is not provided with a dispensing opening and is referred to only as an example where additional means of reinforcement for providing a sufficiently strong handle are included.
WO 98/38099 relates to an article carrier having an elongated handle strap formed between two dispensing openings in a side panel of the box.
In all of the embodiments shown in the prior art, the dispensing openings and thus a handle formed by a part of the panel separating the dispensing openings are provided in a side panel of the box. The side and end panels are normally formed from a single ply of the blank when manufacturing a box from a blank. Thus, if the dispensing openings and the handle are provided in a side panel, the handle will suffer from lack of rigidity and tearing strength. A second drawback of providing the handle and dispensing opening at a side panel is that, if additional strength is required at the handle, there is a need for incorporating additional elements for increasing the rigidity and tearing resistance.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a box including dispensing openings provided in an area of the box where extra rigidity is provided by the co-operation between folded parts of the blank
A second object of the invention is to provide a reinforcement for a handle for a box having dispensing openings provided in one of the panels forming the box, wherein a portion of the panel separating the dispensing openings is functioning as the handle, without the need of adding any additional otherwise unnecessary reinforcing elements.
These objects are achieved by a providing a box according to the characterising portion of claim 1. By providing the dispensing openings at a top panel formed by side panel flaps and end panel flaps the openings are provided in a region of the box having an additional rigidity resulting from the folded flaps forming the top panel of the box. Furthermore, by providing the dispensing openings and the handle at the top panel, a tape provided for sealing the box can be used as reinforcement for the handle. Thus, the use of additional reinforcing elements having a sole use only as reinforcement is avoided.
In a first preferred embodiment of the invention, flaps extending from the end panels forming part of the top panel are glued to the side panels flaps, thereby increasing the rigidity of the box and the strength of the handle.
In a second preferred embodiment each dispensing opening extends, in a direction from end panel to end panel, between side portions of the dispensing opening and each end panel flap having a length, positioning a remote edge of each flap at a close distance to said side portions. By making the end panel flaps sufficiently long so as to reach, but not cover, part of the dispensing opening the top panel and the handle are given additional strength.
Here, and in the following a remote edge of a flap is defined as the free edge of the flap that is positioned on the opposite side of the flap to the fold line between the flap and the panel.
In a third preferred embodiment perforations defining each dispensing opening are provided, which perforations extend from a starting point to an end point leaving a non-perforated gap used as a hinge for a lid defined by part of each side panel flap enclosed by said perforations and said gap. By providing a hinge, the lid is enabled to be opened for providing access to the interior of the box via the dispensing opening and to be closed for providing dust protection of the interior of the box.
In a fourth preferred embodiment, the dispensing opening comprises a handle portion extending substantially parallel to a remote edge of each side panel flap and side portions extending from the handle portion, wherein a transition from the handle portion to the side portions has a curvature radius of at least 10 mm, preferably at least 15 mm. By providing a curvature radius at the transition from the handle portion to the side portions having a radius of at least 10 mm, the risk of occurrence of tearing at the transition is reduced, by providing a curvature radius at the transition from the handle portion to the side portions having a radius of at least 15 mm, the risk of occurrence of tearing at the transition is further reduced.
In a fifth preferred embodiment of the invention, the tape used for sealing of the box and reinforcement of the handle is reinforced by fibers. The fibers could be provided in the form of continuous filaments or yarns.
A further object of the invention is to provide a blank for a box including dispensing openings adapted to be provided in an area of the box where extra rigidity is provided resulting from the co-operation between folded parts of the blank.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a blank for a box having dispensing openings provided in a panel of the box, said dispensing openings being separated by part of said panel, wherein the part of the panel separating the dispensing openings forms a handle, where the handle is adapted to be reinforced by the sealing means of the box.
One or more objects of the invention are achieved by providing a blank according to the characterising portion of claim 11.
A further object of the invention is to provide an article dispenser making use of a box according to the invention.
This object is achieved by an article dispenser according to claim 12.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method of providing a reinforced handle on a box having perforations defining dispensing openings.
This object is achieved by the methods according to claims 13 and 14.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a box having a single dispensing opening providing access to a handle where the handle is reinforced without the need of adding any additional otherwise unnecessary reinforcing elements.
This object is achieved by a box according to the characterising portion of claim 15.